Where to Fenmore American Bistro, the latest arrival on the Fenway/Kenmore Square restaurant scene. It replaces Maluken, known more for karaoke and sake bombs than its Japanese fare.

What for Comfort food in a historic setting near the ballpark. Fenmore is located inside the Buckminster hotel, reportedly where the Black Sox Scandal was conceived, the first network radio broadcast went out, and jazz club Storyville (now a Pizzeria Uno, hepcats) once hosted the likes of Holiday and Mingus.

The scene Relaxed on a night when the Sox are away. The Yankees game plays on televisions visible fromevery angle. Co-workers share a communal table. The men all have dark hair and beards and speak softly; the women eat Buffalo wings and laugh often. At the bar, two men drink Budweiser and converse in a language I can’t quite place. A possible hotel resident orders food to go. Fenmore is loud even without many guests. The decor is a mix of Boston-themed nostalgia (sepia-toned images of baseball, the marathon, streetcars) and clubby modern accents. Butterscotch leather armchairs beckon beside a large mantelpiece. Everything is brand new and clean. Staffers school one another on the POS system.

Care for a drink? Behind the bar, a Cruvinet system keeps wine fresh for weeks after the bottles are opened. You’ll find the likes of Beringer white zinfandel and Columbia Crest merlot; a less ho-hum selection might move product faster. Perhaps best to opt for the day’s special — $3 Coors on tap.

Overheard The sweetheart bartenders explaining the Cruvinet system to inquiring guests. A mellow soundtrack: the Beatles, Bob Marley, Rufus Wainwright, the Marshall Tucker Band. Plenty of co-worker talk, much of it about office computing: “I just make it a share file. This girl, I’m so glad she’s gone, she didn’t know how to use Excel.”

Tipsy hyperbole: “Oh my god, they love me!” “They made me go and it was the worst experience of my life!” People talking about Vegas and the Boston Calling music festival.

A guy who sounds unintentionally like a movie voice-over: “Picture a world . . .,” he intones.